When Your Heart Stops Beating
by elite-kunoichi
Summary: wh-whats wrong?” asked Hinata shakily, then winced in pain. Her eyes darted from one face to another, their faces grim. She noticed Sakura sobbing and Naruto’s anxious expression. Not only that, but he was holding her, and her lower body was…numb.


Summary:

"_wh-whats wrong?" asked Hinata shakily, then winced in pain. __Her eyes darted from one face to another, each sighing with relief at her movement, though their faces grim. She noticed Sakura sobbing and Naruto's anxious expression. Not only that, but he was holding her, and her lower body was…numb. She couldn't feel it, any of it. Hinata raised her head an inch to examine her body and was shocked, it was covered in blood. But then realization had hit her…_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or the lyrics of "when your heart stops beating" by +44

a/n: This is a song fic, I thought that although the song itself might not match the story, the lyrics do. And it was this song that inspired me to write this fic. This story takes place when the Naruto generation are in their early 20's and elite ninja.

**When your heart stops beating **

In the midst of the ending battle zone between a group of Jounin from Konoha and Sound ninja's fought a female kunoichi who threw a kunai, swiftly beheading her opponent. Sensing a new chakra presence behind her, the raven haired kunoichi activated her Byakugan as she altered her stance into defence, awaiting him. He flung himself onto her throwing punches and kicks. The kunoichi easily dodged them, her face emotionless; she then changed her stance into attack and approached her enemy. In a blink of an eye she lightly touched his chest, where his heart lay and then flicked him, clotting the heart of his chakra with such force, causing him to fly several meters back as his heart exploded from the impact.

The Kunoichi turned around and felt the presence of a male assassin lurking in the shadows, she followed his gaze and felt herself panic, it led to one of her comrades. She watched the assassin slowly let go of his Kunai's and shuriken's, aiming it at her comrade. She knew that by the time she called for her comrade it would be too late so she did what she could only do. She ran to him, screaming out his name in warning.

_**Turn it up, I never wanna go home  
I only wanna be part of your breakdown  
She got caught by the four on the floor**_**  
**

"NEJI!!" screamed Hinata as she flung herself in front of her cousin taking the blow of several Kunai's and shuriken. There were several piercing blows as the weapons penetrated his cousin's body, her face expression wincing in pain and paling as blood spluttered out of her mouth and wounds, and then there was a loud thud that followed as she fell to the ground. Neji traced back to the attacker horrified and brutally killed him, then ran back to his cousin. He couldn't believe what had just happened. She needed help, she needed medical attention.

"SAKURA!" roared Neji, his voice carrying over the field, attracting his teammate's attention.

A pink haired kunoichi turned her head towards her comrade, sighing with relief as the battle had come to an end, the Sound nin on the floor, dead and defeated. What she saw next made her gasp; Neji was on the ground with a limp body in his hands. At the scene, she was without delay at his side.

"What happened?" asked the shocked kunoichi as she stared at Hinata.

"She was attacked, but I killed him. She jumped in front of me and took the blow" said Neji, looking calm, but inwardly unable to control his emotions. He felt angry, his cousin was injured because of him, and she risked her life to save his.

Sakura nodded and then began to glow a bright green as she began to slowly remove the weapons from Hinata's body. As she did so, she felt a breeze beside her and then all of a sudden Hinata was no longer on the floor but cradled into her blonde teammates arms.

**I **_**picked her up and she'll never get let down  
And now I can't stop thinking about it**_

His expression turned grim. He looked confused, shocked, this had to be a dream, a nightmare. His face lost its colour, his mouth went dry, lips cracking. He lost his composure as his face broke into a thousand pieces, a thousand emotions. This couldn't be happening, he thought.

"No, no, no! HINATA! WAKE UP!" shouted Naruto, giving Hinata a little shake.

"N-naruto, please, let me remove all the weapons from her; she is going to be alrigh-"

"Why isn't she moving!?! How can she be alright?!" yelled Naruto his anxiety clouding up his ability to think.

"Naruto, give her to Sakura. Let her do her job" said a calm voice coming from his raven haired friend.

_**All you people at the top, don't know nothing about it  
We don't give a f**k what the price is  
**_

"No Sasuke, NO! Why isn't she moving!" yelled Naruto, unable to control his anger. His voice cracking as tears threatened to start. He than jerked his head towards Sakura.

"WHY ISN'T SHE MOVING?!" he roared.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto and forced him away from Hinata, but he wouldn't budge. He wouldn't let go of his wife.

"Give Sakura some room to heal her, Naruto. Let her heal her" insisted Sasuke with force.

Naruto nodded and anxiously watched Sakura remove the rest of the weapons from his wife's fragile body. He winced as each one left her fragile body, he couldn't bare of the thought of her suffering. Naruto watched Hinata's face, it was blank. She wasn't wincing, she wasn't moving. Naruto grabbed her and rocked her unconscious body against his chest as he stroked her head.

_**So just leave us to our own devices and we'll leave you alone**_

"Come on baby, get up, wake up…please. Don't leave me, don't die on me," whispered Naruto into Hinata's ear, so only she could hear.

'Be strong, cousin' thought Neji anxiously as he watched from the sidelines.

Sakura applied even more chakra into her hands, trying to heal the fatal wound. Tears flowed from her eyes and her body began to shake as she was trying her hardest to save her comrades life, but her healing was refused. The more she healed, she realized at the poison in her friends wounds, the quicker the poison would flow, ending her life.

Sakura collapsed from exhaustion as she could not heal anymore, it was no use, she had no more chakra and no amount of chakra could fix it, but only kill her. The weapons that pierced her body were poisoned. Her organs were crashing down. Sasuke caught Sakura and tried to steady her, but she collapsed, shaking against his chest. Sasuke held her tight, his expression grim, as he tried to calm her down.

Naruto looked up and noticed the stop of healing. He looked up at Sakura, accusingly.

"Why? Why did you stop?"

Sakura shook her head, "there is nothing I can do… I tried my best Naruto…but the poison, it's all up to her body now…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." cried Sakura, tears leaving dirty streaks down her face.

Naruto wouldn't look at Sakura; his eyes remained on the limp body in his arms. He gave Hinata a shake and let out a shaky breath, one that he hadn't known he was holding; when he saw her eyes flicker open and look confused.

"wh-whats wrong?" asked Hinata shakily, then winced in pain. Her eyes darted from one face to another, each sighing with relief at her movement, though their faces grim. She noticed Sakura sobbing and Naruto's anxious expression. Not only that, but he was holding her, and her lower body was…numb. She couldn't feel it, any of it. Hinata raised her head an inch to examine her body and was shocked, it was covered in blood. But then realization had hit her, she remembered jumping in front of several directed weapons in hope of saving her cousin's life. Her eyes darted towards Neji, she sighed with relief, he was ok.

"We won?" she asked.

Neji nodded, yet he only felt defeat. He noticed her face paling by the second; she was losing too much blood. She didn't have long left.

_**I'll be there when your heart stops beating  
I'll be there when your last breath's taken away  
In the dark, When there's no-one listening  
In the times when we both get carried away**_**  
**

Hinata turned to Naruto and smiled weakly, "I guess this is it…" Hinata's head jerked forward as she coughed up blood. Naruto held her tighter, "no it isn't," he whispered as he wiped the blood from her mouth.

Hinata turned to look at the sobbing pink haired Kunoichi.

"Arigato Sakura-chan, for trying"

Hinata turned to look at Neji, "don't punish yourself. It's an honor to die as a Shinobi"

Neji leant towards Hinata and embraced her. Hinata smiled.

Accepting her fate, Neji turned away to fix his face as it cracked with emotion, with grief. Hinata shakily lifted her hand to grab Neji.

"Tell father and Hinabi th-that I'm s-sorry…for shaming them"

"shhh, don't say that," hushed Naruto, outraged. "You have never ever shamed them"

"That's right," said Neji. "They both really love you, especially Uncle, he just doesn't show it…"

Hinata nodded slightly, that movements in itself made her cringe in pain. Her head ached with a throbbing headache.

"I-I'm so sorry, please forgive me" cried Sakura, guilt eating her up.

"It's not your fault. I should thank-you," Sakura embraced Hinata. "But please, when I'm gone…take care of Naruto, he will need it. You are like his sister" whispered Hinata. Sakura nodded .

_**When we both get carried away**_

Hinata coughed out blood and did so continuously. Naruto held her up, trying to stop the blood. He kept on telling her to hang on as he soothed her with soft kisses. Hinata smiled and then turned to Sasuke.

"Thank-you for every thing…for being his closest friend. Take care of Naruto when I'm-I'm g-gone. He will be very vulnerable for the first couple of weeks. You may be the only one to keep him together. The bond you share is very strong…" Hinata's eyelids felt heavy, but she resisted the urge to close them, to die just yet.

Sasuke nodded and stood up. He walked over to Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder, in hope to comfort his friend. Naruto ignored it, his attention focused on his wife. Hinata's eyes locked with his and smiled. But then her body began to shake, she was having a seizure, trying to fight the venom in her blood, but failing. Her body was almost at its limit. Naruto held her tight, and stood up, never wanting to let her go, unable to believe that this was happening. Her body was shaking as badly as his as he thought, 'she's hurt, and there is nothing I can do about it…but maybe…'

"Naruto, where are you going?" asked Sasuke.

"Konoha, Tsunade-sama will fix her up," he said stubbornly. "Because Hinata can't, she won't-" he shook his head, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Neji approached the blonde.

"Naruto, there is nothing you or Tsunade can do, it's too-"

Naruto pushed Neji off of him and snarled, "Leave us alone. She can still be saved," he then pumped a large amount of chakra into his feet, leaping a great distance, towards Konoha.

He crashed through the trees, his tears making the day curve crazily. Swiping the back of his hands across his eyes, he picked up his pace. He could feel her pain, which made it hard to breathe and impossible to think.

_**She says it all without a thought in her head  
She says it all as she's pressed up against me**_

"N-naruto, please don't be angry. Smile for me" rasped the ill fated kunoichi.

Naruto looked down at his lover, his life and broke into a smile, a smile that was filled with sadness. Hinata noticed this and broke into tears, "N-naruto, stop. Its no use," coughed Hinata, "I'm dying."

Naruto stopped and looked down at his wounded wife as he cradled her in his arms and grimaced, his chest feeling tight.

_**A little something just to take off the edge  
A little more and I'll fall off the planet entirely**_

"I love you Hinata. I love you too much, that it is beyond humane. You have become apart of me. you are what keeps me going, you are _my heart_, my blood, my soul, my energy and my reason for living. Without you I am nothing. How am I to live with no heart, no blood, no soul, no energy…and no reason to live? Hinata, without you, there is no world worth living in –" confessed Naruto.

"No" cried Hinata. "Don't think like that. I don't want you to be like this…please-" Hinata's words were lost as she broke into a coughing frenzy, heaving for air. "P-please d-don't let me die knowing that I have left you like-"

"shhh, don't talk," soothed Naruto, his voice sounding choked. "Relax"

In front of them was the sun setting, getting ready for the night. To Naruto, it seemed that the sun was accepting darkness, accepting its fate. To Naruto, once darkness came, once the sun left, he, himself will never see it again, forever trapped in the darkness, forever trying to accept his fate, but failing. Naruto shook such thoughts away, now wasn't the time. All that mattered now was Hinata. He gave his full attention and his time to her, what was left of it.

Naruto turned his attention on his wife, and tried to get her to relax.

"Look at the beautiful sunset" commented Naruto.

"If I were to look at that, I wouldn't be able to look at my own sunshine, where he is constantly laughing and smiling, the one that I married and the one that will be the last thing I want to see. Naruto, I'm glad that it will be ending like this…in your arms"

Naruto shook his head violently. "You are not going to die, you c-can't! It's not fair! You can't leave me!"

"This isn't the end," whispered Hinata, her strength running out as she tried to soothe her husband, though every time she spoke it was as if she was swallowing sand paper. "When I'm gone, don't let me see you lifeless. Please!" begged Hinata. It had taken her a lot of energy to say all of that, it had caused a lot of pain, but it was worth it.

Naruto, holding back his tears, nodded and bent down to close the distance between his lips and hers as he kissed them, tasting her blood as he tried to treasure the moment, her feel and lock it away, to remember forever. He felt her smile and close her eyes. Naruto pulled away, allowing her to breathe. He could feel her delicate body, but it wasn't moving. Naruto noticed how pale her face had become; she was drained from all her blood. Her face was as transparent as her eyes, eyes that had only ever allowed Naruto to stare deep into her soul. Eyes that were now closed.

_**I'll be there when your heart stops beating  
**_

Naruto checked her pulse, it was slowing rapidly.

"Hinata," no answer. "HINATA!"

Her eyes flickered open, though they felt like lead.

"I-I'm cold…" her voice was feint and very weak.

Naruto drew her closer to his body, his body radiating as he used Kyuubi's powers to generate heat.

"Na-ru-to" she struggled, her speech a slur.

Naruto nodded, never taking his eyes off of her, trying to take everything in. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on him and when they did she murmured, "I give you back your heart-"

Naruto shook his head, "No I don't want it. Take it"

"Then I give you mine" whispered Hinata with pleading eyes, "please".

Naruto slowly nodded in defeat. What followed next was intense silence.

He moved her into his arms, her chin on his shoulder as he tried to commit to memory the solid weight of her and everything about her to his memory.

'Take me with you' he thought.

_**I'll be there when your last breath's taken away**_**  
**

Naruto admired Hinata. The setting sun was shining on her; she looked angelic as her features glowed. He had never seen her look anymore beautiful, other than the day they married, and became one. Hinata too took one last look at her husband. His blonde hair was ruffled and bloodstained. His face was covered in scratches and dirt. His whiskered cheeks were blood stained. His eyes were bloodshot and several shades darker. Hinata forcefully tried to raise her hand to try and trace his face, his features, to embed them in to her mind, before she died. But she was too weak; her hand fell from his face, only to be caught by his. Naruto held his wife's hand and placed it onto his face, giving her support. Naruto held back the tears, the anguish. He was bigger than she was. It wasn't fair, he should be feeling the pain, and he should be dying. Not her. He could suffer; he'd always been able to. It was why he was where he is today. He could stand pain himself, but not hers. When she stopped tracing his features, she stared intently at him, and murmured, "smile".

Naruto looked at her and couldn't help but smile, his private and happy smile that he shared only with her, where his eyes would sparkle as they were filled with love and warmth and his full lips curve into his cheeky grin. Seeing this, Hinata let out a shaky sigh and smiled softly as her eyes closed.

Naruto watched Hinata, and waited.

"Hinata?"

He gave her a light shake. No answer

"Hinata!" he called desperately. But still no answer.

Naruto felt for her pulse, only to feel her cold, transparent skin against his. But there was no pulse.

'Look at me' he silently begged.

But she wouldn't.

_**In the dark, where there's no-one listening**_

He was shaking so hard at this point that when he looked at her from the corner of his eyes, her face blurred and he had believed that he had already begun to forget her. But then he blinked and she was beautiful and calm, but also…dead. She was gone.

_**  
In the times when we both get carried away**_

It felt as if the world had stopped. That time had stopped. That life had stopped. Because hers had. Naruto collapsed onto his deceased wife, her cold, lifeless body against his. He could feel raw emotion trying to get out, break free. He didn't stop it, he let it out. He let his chakra run wild and with all his might as he opened his mouth and roared. It was so strong; it was so loud, that it was sure to be heard throughout the land. With another shaky breath, he howled, he howled her name. It was full of passion, of love, of grief. It ripped through the trees as it destroyed everything in its path.

Moments later, Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder; he looked up to see Sasuke.

"Come on Naruto…I'm sorry…but we have to take her back to the village"

Naruto absently nodded. He didn't feel in control of his body anymore, it just moved. The journey home was silent, except for the sobs escaping Sakura. Naruto never let go of Hinata, nor did he ever take his eyes off of her. Neji was pale and quiet, although his eyes were dry, they were bloodshot.

When they reached the gates of Konoha, all was silent as many ninja's were now aware of the incident that stood before them, along with the Hokage. Hiashi and Hinabi were at the front of the row. As Naruto entered, Hinabi gasped at the sight and burst into tears. She was immediately at her sister's side, shaking her, calling out her name. When there was no answer, reality hit her, she forgot all her ninja lessons on self control and began to scream, a child's scream, high pitched and desperate, over and over again as she called for her older sister. When she didn't stop, Neji slowly approached her and allowed her to fall into his embrace as she collapsed into his arms. He began to murmur softly in her ear, trying to comfort her, to stop her screaming.

Hiashi approached Naruto, with the support of the Hyuuga family. He wouldn't look at Hinata, he kept his eyes downcast. Naruto watched in silence. He felt anger towards his father in-law, man who had never accepted him, let alone his now deceased daughter.

"Look at her!" said Naruto through gritted teeth. Hiashi made no movement.

"I SAID LOOK AT HER! SHE IS YOUR DAUGHTER!" roared Naruto.

_**I'll be there when your heart stops beating  
I'll be there when your last breath's taken away  
In the dark, When there's no-one listening**_**  
**

Slowly Hiashi raised his head and locked his eyes on her, his daughter. He hesitated before reaching out and stroking her face. He held no expression. But his eyes were enough, as they were teary as he unconsciously let a tear escape, which was followed by another and another.

Naruto watched Hiashi's lips part as he whispered.

"Hinata?"

Only to have no reply.

"Hinata?!"

Hiashi leant towards his daughter and embraced her, for the first and last time. He slowly cupped her face, taking in everything and gently kissed her cheeks. He reached out to hold her, but was stopped.

_**In the times when we both get carried away  
When we both get carried away**_**  
**

"Give me my daughter"

"No!" growled Naruto. "She is not leaving me. She is my wife!"

Hiashi's expression turned cold and scowled as he allowed himself to turn away to the Hyuuga temple to prepare a prayer for her death. Slowly, very slowly, ninja's bowed their heads in respect. Naruto stayed in his place, stiffly. He wouldn't move, nor would his eyes off of the limp body in his arms.

"Naruto," He looked up to see Tsunade looking at him with sadness and worry. "The burial is ready..."

Naruto barely nodded as he allowed his body take control. As he walked he caressed her with kisses and buried his face in her hair, trying to lock away her scent.

Without realizing, he was already standing before her empty grave, ready to be filled. A pair of hands reached out to snatch the body in his arms, raising his head Naruto glared, an icy cold glare that would make one shudder. It was Hiashi, ready to bury his deceased daughter. Naruto held on tight, never letting go.

"Come on Naruto, you have to, its time to let go," said Sasuke softly as he came behind the blonde.

Naruto shook his head. "But I'm not ready" he whispered, more to himself.

Hiashi then with stealth activated his Byakugan and cut off Naruto's chakra points for his arms. Naruto unwillingly let go of his wife, dropping her. Hiashi caught Hinata and turned away as Naruto snarled at Hiashi. Sasuke had to hold Naruto down as to restrain him from attacking the Hyuuga. However, Naruto felt a bubble of anger, of hate and felt it burst inside of him; he would not have his wife be snatched away from him! Naruto applied chakra in his body and broke free as he retrieved her, snatching her delicate body from her father.

"When she and I married, she no longer belonged to you" said Naruto icily. Hiashi began to argue but was cut off by Naruto's cold emotionless voice. "I'll do it"

Slowly he placed her in the dug up grave, and gave her one last kiss before turning around and manually-without chakra or jutsus- filling it with dirt, alone. He stayed there, beside it, silent, his eyes never leaving her grave. He felt his body grow cold, he thought that he would never feel warmth or happiness ever again, but forever feel grief.

Naruto was unaware of everybody as they paid their respects, he felt cold and distant. He had lost track of time as he stood there, never once wavering. It was as if the world had stopped, as if time had stopped. But it hadn't. As he stood there, minutes became hours, hours became days and days became a week. In and out people came, persuading him to leave, to rest, but he wouldn't listen, not to Sasuke or the Hokage herself. He was a statue, never once moving from his place, not even during the rainy and life threatening winds of the winter's night. Famine had been the least of his worries as he stood still focused intently on the grave, still not accepting it, hoping that if he stared long enough, he would break away from the horrible nightmare, until one dark night his legs gave way, as he was no longer able to hold his body without an ounce of food or water, especially without movement. Lying on the ground, his muscles screaming from soreness and his blood finally able to flow throughout his body, without realizing, sleep had overcome him, pulling him into deep slumber.

_**In the times when we both get carried away  
When we both get carried away**_

He dreamt of himself and Hinata, sitting on top of the Hokage tower. The sun was setting; the view was beautiful, as was his wife. He let out a sigh of relief, she wasn't dead. That horrible event was just a nightmare, never to happen. He suddenly embraced her tightly, feeling her warmth, it soothed him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" chuckled Hinata

"Nothing, just a bad dream I had…I though you were…" Naruto shook his head, dismissing such thoughts, "but your not" he said with a smile.

Hinata looked at him and smiled sadly, "but I am-"

"No your not!" He said angrily as he hugged her even tighter, "don't say such things!"

He suddenly felt a change in her body, he looked at her, and she was disappearing. She smiled sadly and nodded, "but I am, Naruto" she said as her body became transparent.

"Live, Naruto" Her voice echoed.

**  
**_**When we both get carried away  
(I'll be there when your heart stops beating)  
When we both get carried away**_

Naruto, startled, woke from his dream as he returned to reality, cold hard reality. He looked around for Hinata, feeling the cold ground beside him, searching for her body heat, only to find her name on a tombstone right over her grave.

Without realizing it, he began to inhale and exhale loudly, finding it hard to breathe, reality was crashing down on him, too fast. He felt a hand on his shoulder, gripping him. He looked up surprised, it was Sasuke.

"She's gone, Naruto. She isn't coming back. You have to let go" he said ever so softly, afraid to break his friend.

At those words he did not realize that he'd begun to cry so hard, perhaps for the first time, partly in shock of her death, and finally in acceptance.

_**(In the dark when there's no one listening)  
When we both get carried away.. **_

**FIN**

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